Over 40 men participated in the Fall M.A.L.E.s Journey of the Soul weekend and connected with the deep spirit of nature and mother earth. This enriching experience included wilderness wandering, ritual activity, exercises in meditation, small group work, and storytelling.

Belden also encouraged men to pack light, be mindful, and enjoy the folley of things and not take life so seriously. Pilgrim Park as a retreat center is sacred space for M.A.L.E.s programs and the weekend was a great chance to appreciate the spiritual power of nature to heal us and let us connect to the divine. The weekend ended with an outdoor liturgy and a prayer for Mother Earth. The prayer included blessings to persons from all backgrounds and for the men on retreat to share the new teachings with other men they know.

Books on Nature and Spirituality by Belden Lane:
• The Solace of Fierce Landscapes
• Ravished by Beauty
• Landscapes of the Sacred

More About Belden Lane, Retreat Leader and M.A.L.E.s Weaver:

Belden Lane is a Professor of Theology Studies at St. Louis University and a Presbyterian Pastor. Belden has worked with Richard Rohr for many years as a Weaver for M.A.L.E.s Internationally and was the “Weaver” for our 2012 Illinois Men’s Rites of Passage (M.R.O.P.).

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Journeying in the Second Half of Life
Indiana-Michigan M.A.L.E.s invites you to retreat, taking time away to focus on the questions that come as we find ourselves looking over the top of the hill we've been climbing and begin to see down into the valley ahead of us ...
Teaching tales. Our own stories. Experience in nature. Join us as we weave these together to illuminate ways of creating a legacy that gives meaning to our lives and makes a difference in the lives of future generations